


Letting You In

by Solitude_of_Stars



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bisexual Qrow, Clover Deserved Better, Clover is a big brother, Clover is smitten and it shows, Cuddling, Fair Game Fluff, Fluff, Gay Clover, Getting Together, Holding Hands, I did not plan to post this on valentines day but well..., Kissing, M/M, Oneshot, Qrow deserved better, Quite a few head canons that you can pry out of my cold dead hands, Some Clover Backstory, Some Qrow Backstory as well, They talk about their past, no hurt just comfort, this is really just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:22:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22723882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solitude_of_Stars/pseuds/Solitude_of_Stars
Summary: Qrow cocks his head slightly to the side. “Do I get to see pictures of baby Clover now?”“If you want. I don´t mind showing them to you.” He knows his cheeks are getting red, but it is the truth. He doesn´t mind showing Qrow, he actually wants to show him, to open up to him, to tell him about his life. Wants Qrow to be part of this life as well.RT decided to not give us any backstory on Clover. I won´t have that.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 116





	Letting You In

There is a knock at Clover's apartment door.

“It’s open” he calls and casts a quick glance over his shoulder. It’s Qrow, apparently fresh out of the shower because his hair is still wet and little droplets of water fall on his simple white shirt. Not that this is something Clover would focus on. 

“Ah, well, you see… the kids wanted me to teach them how to play poker later tonight and I thought it might be easier to show them with someone who actually manages to win, not like me, I think I have never won a game in my life, but…” Qrow trails off when he sees the photo album on the table in front of Clover.

“You know if this is a bad time then forget what I said. I think I can still manage to teach them the basics myself” he says and turns around to leave.

“Oh no, it’s fine, I am almost done anyway” Clover assures him, because there is no way he is letting Qrow go now that he has got the man in his apartment for the first time.

“Come on, sit down. Can I get you something? Coffee, tea, some water?” he asks, already halfway to his small kitchen, while he gestures to his couch. Qrow hesitates but Clover can see in his eyes that he is curious. “A tea would be nice” the older mumbles before crossing the room and sitting down gingerly on the edge of the sofa.

It amuses Clover, how this fearless and brave huntsman gets shy and reluctant whenever he is in a situation that requires him to be social. Throw him into a pit full of bloodthirsty Grimm and he knows exactly what to do about it, but entering a foreign apartment renders him almost speechless.

Clover leans his hip against the counter while he waits for the kettle to boil their water and watches Qrow with barely contained amusement. The man is scanning his apartment, gaze lingering on the wall adorned with bookshelves, filled to the brim with every book Clover could get his hands on. Yes, he is a bookworm at heart. Even he needs a distraction sometimes, needs to escape the world he would gladly give his life fighting for.

Pale red eyes linger on Clovers bedroom door for a moment. As if sensing that he is being watched, Qrow quickly averts his eyes and ends up focusing on the album in front of him. It shows a woman with light-brown hair and familiar teal-blue eyes

“You have a sister?” Qrow guesses correctly.

Clover grins. He knows they look quite similar, his sister and him, especially when they smile and reveal the same wrinkles around their eyes.

“Four, actually.”

“Heavens, four sisters? How was that, growing up? I don´t want to imagine having four Ravens around me at all times”, Qrow jokes while leaning back and getting more comfortable. Finally, Clover thinks and marvels about how right it looks, Qrow in his apartment, on his couch, how _domestic_ and he wants to keep this forever. Yes, he’s got it bad, he knows. Does he care? Not one bit.

The kettle is ready, and Clover makes his way over to the couch, two mugs in his hands. “Scoot” he says while passing the mug that says `best brother´ in bright and cursive letters on to Qrow. He settles into the space the other made for him and if it’s a little closer than necessary considering how big his couch is, well, who else is to know? Qrow doesn’t seem to complain about the fact that their thighs touch whenever one of them moves.

“It was great, actually. I am the oldest, so I got to pamper them and take care of them and be the adoring and overprotective big brother they always pretended to hate but secretly loved.” He grins while grabbing the album and putting it between Qrow and him.

Qrow cocks his head slightly to the side. “Do I get to see pictures of baby Clover now?”

“If you want. I don´t mind showing them to you.” He knows his cheeks are getting red, but it is the truth. He doesn´t mind showing Qrow, he actually _wants_ to show him, to open up to him, to tell him about his life. Wants Qrow to be part of this life as well.

So he starts from the beginning, with the photo of the two people grinning proudly into the camera while holding a tiny little baby boy in their arms.

“Those are my moms” he begins and can’t hide the pride in his voice. They are great women and he wants Qrow to know, wants him to understand how he became who he is now and show him the people that had a hand in shaping him, guiding him, loving him.

Qrow smiles but then his gaze gets caught on something in the background of the photo. He takes a closer look and lets out a small sound of surprise.

“You’re from Argus.”

“Yeah. What, did you think I was from Atlas? My weapon practically screams port city. Where else would I’ve learned how to fish?”

“Well, now wait a second” Qrow laughs and pokes Clover’s side, making him jump. “First of all, I had no idea that you are an actual fisherman. I thought you just wanted your weapon to be a little more… unconventional. And, you know, ice-fishing is a thing as far as I am aware of.”

Clover doesn’t immediately answer. He is too distracted by the sound of Qrow’s actual laugh. Not the cynical one he lets people hear from time to time, rough and bitter. This one is still deep and raspy, but it sounds lighter and like it comes from somewhere deep down inside of Qrow, let lose almost by accident. Clover desperately wants to hear it again.

“Yeah, my Mom taught me how to fish when I was still pretty young.” He points to the woman on the left. Her hair is bright red and her cheeks are adorned by a multitude of freckles.

“She used to work at the docks. My Ma is a huntress so it was my Mom that I would visit at work. I loved it there. If I hadn´t gotten into Atlas Academy, I think I´d have done the same as her. There was never a doubt that working at the docks was just as good as becoming a hunter.”

“What´s her name?”

“Poppy. And my Ma’s name is Heather.” He´s got his Ma’s hair and her eyes. It is obvious that she is the one who carried and gave birth to him.

“Ah, I see where you got your name from then.” Qrow smirks. “Let me guess, one of your sisters is called Lily?”

“No, not a single one of them” laughs Clover while turning over the page. The next photo shows him as a toddler, standing next to a crib and looking wide-eyed at a small newborn baby.

“That’s Flora, the one you have seen earlier. We were always quite close, probably because we’re almost the same age. Today’s actually her birthday, that’s why I was looking at these. She moved to Vacuo a few years ago to be with her husband. We’ve always called each other on our birthdays but with the communications system still down, I haven´t spoken to her in over a year. These pictures are the only thing I´ve got at the moment.”

Clover is surprised to feel a warm hand on his leg. He looks over and sees Qrow smiling at him. It’s only a small smile but it is there, and it warms Clovers heart.

“You are a good brother. I am sure she knows you are thinking of her.” He sighs. “The girls haven’t talked to their dad in months either, so it’s about time we get this thing up and running.”

“We will” agrees Clover and puts his own hand over Qrow’s. They stay like this for a few seconds, sharing the silence, lost in their own thoughts.

“So, we´ve got a Clover and a Flora. Should I guess the other three names?”

“I take it you are good at botany then. Ready to name every single flower in existence?”

“Nah, Tai was always the one with the green thumb. I am just really good at letting plants die while being away on missions.” He winks and Clover wonders silently if Qrow has any idea what he is doing to his heart.

They go on and Clover shows him photos of Holly, Daisy and Dahlia, the last one being quite a bit younger than her siblings.

“She turned 18 last year. I was already at the Academy when she was born but we’re still quite close. I was afraid I would be more of a role model to her than a brother. You know, someone she would idolize. The age gap is quite big, and I was rising through the ranks pretty quickly as soon as I graduated.” He smiles down at the photo of a small girl with fiery red locks. “But she never cared for that at all. Dahlia is really good with kids and I think she will go into teaching.”

The next photo shows him surrounded by his parents and his sisters, Dahlia still only a toddler, everyone smiling brightly into the camera.

“Your 18th birthday?” Qrow guesses.

“Not quite. This was the day I came out to my family.” He laughs. “One could assume that growing up with two mothers would make this whole thing easier, but a small part of my brain still thought that they wouldn´t understand, wouldn´t approve of me liking men and only men. Took me until my second year in Atlas to finally come clear, even though they probably knew even before I did. And they were, and have been to this day of course, nothing but supportive albeit a little more nosy when it comes to my personal life.”

Qrow chuckles. “That’s great. Having a functioning support system is something that I never had back when I lived with the Branwen tribe. They had more of a “don´t ask, don’t tell” mentality going on, something that my dear sister adapted to pretty fast. Not that she ever really cared for any of my personal problems.”

Clover doesn’t like how Qrow’s smile turns sad but he doesn´t want to interrupt the man either, so he just squeezes his hand in silent support.

“When I enrolled at Beacon, this was totally new territory for me. There were still some assholes of course, but everyone else was either open about their sexuality or supportive of their friends who were out. I felt that for the first time, I was allowed to actually feel about other people in a way that I never could before. So, naturally, the first thing I did was to crush on both of my new teammates at the same time.”

Clover can´t help but giggle. Qrow laughs as well and his eyes brighten with the memories of a past long gone but still remembered fondly.

“Sadly, Tai has always been incurably straight. And Summer and I, we tried but realized pretty quickly that we´d work better as best friends.”

Pale red eyes meet teal colored ones and Clover wonders, _hopes_ that Qrow is feeling the same unmistakable pull he is experiencing right now. Have they gotten closer to each other while Qrow talked about his past? Clover thinks they have but he can´t be sure, shouldn´t assume. Instead he focuses again on the feeling of Qrow’s hand in his own.

“That’s why it was always so important to me that the girls, and by extension the other kids as well, get all the support they need to figure themselves out. Even though I think Yang has that pretty much covered by now. She´s the kind of sister her mother never quite managed to be. Always taking care of everyone, making sure they know that they are fine, whoever they may like and whatever they may feel or not feel.” He chuckles. ”Not so sure she has quite managed to practice what she preaches, though.” 

Clover thinks of the evening he overheard Qrow speaking to a distraught Jaune. The boy had been close to tears because he felt like crushing on Neon Katt of Team FNKI would somehow tarnish the memory of young Pyrrha Nikos. Qrow had been nothing but comforting, reassuring the boy that having feelings for someone else wouldn´t diminish the feelings he’d had for his first love and that he didn´t even have to act on those feelings if he felt it was something he couldn´t stomach yet. That he never had to, if he didn´t want to.

Hearing that, Clover had fallen even more for Qrow. The man has no idea about the impact he has on other people’s lives and how everyone in his little rag-tag group of kids is striving and getting better. Qrow would probably deny having any share in their development whatsoever but Clover knows better. Everyone with eyes can see he gives his all, is good for them and loves them with all his heart.

He looks at the other man and promptly loses himself in those red eyes. He wants to tell Qrow everything he just thought, make him see what he sees, make him understand what everyone else already knows, but finds himself at a loss for words. His mind is utterly silent and so unbearably loud at the same time, screaming at him to do something but not allowing him to utter a single word.

They are even closer now and suddenly Clovers mind is filled with a word, only a single word, a name, _his_ name.

“ _Qrow_ ” he whispers before surging forward, gripping the white shirt and connecting the man’s lips with his own. It is intoxicating really, and he sighs into the kiss while lifting his hands to cradle Qrow’s face. He leans even closer until their chests press together and Clover can´t help himself, has to open his mouth a little, letting the tip of his tongue swipe over Qrow’s upper lip. Qrow shudders slightly and that brings Clover back to reality.

“Shit, sorry. I… I should have asked. I am really sorry, I – “ 

“Hey now, stop worrying. You don´t see me complain, do you?” murmurs Qrow, hands falling to Clovers waist, holding him, keeping him there, grounded in the moment. “I just haven´t been kissed in quite some time. So yeah, you surprised me, but positively so.”

He smiles, nuzzling Clovers cheek with his nose. Clover feels the other man’s stubble on his chin and let’s his eyes fall shut, just enjoying how close they are and how good a freshly showered Qrow smells.

He buries his nose into Qrow’s hair and murmurs: “I’ve wanted to do that since that supply run to Amity Tower, you know? The day we encountered Robyn Hill and her huntresses.”

Qrow chuckles and grips his waist a little tighter. “Well, would have saved me from losing every single round of cards, that’s for sure.” He doesn´t say that it would have been too early, that he had still been in a pretty bad place and was just beginning to heal. He doesn’t have to. Clover knows.

He marvels about how they seem to understand each other without words. How looking at Qrow is enough sometimes to know exactly what the other thinks.

Qrow is still able to surprise him, though, because suddenly he gets up, places the photo album back on the table and proceeds to straddle Clovers lap.

“That’s something that _I_ wanted to do since you jumped out of that goddamn airplane. Made concentrating on fighting Callows a little harder than expected. Good thing Robyn was there.”

Clover swallows and sees Qrow focus on the spot right under the shamrock pin, where Tyrian had grazed Clover with his poisoned stinger, just before they had taken him down. Clover will never forget the pure hatred in Qrow’s eyes. How he severed the scorpion’s stinger for a second time, leaving Tyrian weakened enough to take him into custody. Clover was sure Qrow would kill the faunus then and there, but he had focused on taking care of him instead and left Robyn to deal with the criminal.

“Hey, stop thinking about it” Clover murmurs and wraps his arms around the other’s neck. Qrow leans his forehead against Clover’s and closes his eyes for a moment. “I am here now. I am fine, thanks to you. You got help and now it is just a scar that will always remind me of what we accomplished together.”

Qrow continues to look a little dejected but nods and buries his head in Clovers neck.

They stay like this, just enjoying each other’s presence. Qrow is warm and soft and smells surprisingly like chocolate and cinnamon.

“Not that I am not very much agreeable to this whole situation” begins Clover a few minutes later and lets his hands roam over Qrow’s back and to the seam of his sweatpants. Huh, they have back pockets to fit his hands into. Very neat. That’s something he wants to explore but isn´t sure how amenable Qrow would be to it, “but didn’t you say something about teaching your kids how to play cards?” 

Qrow hums but doesn´t move from where he has buried his face into Clovers neck.

“They are on a mission and won´t be back for at least another hour. I just came to ask you early.”

Clover smiles down at him. “So, did you plan this?”

He could be wrong, but he thinks he can see some red rising in Qrow’s cheeks.

“No” the man sighs though. “I am not good with people. And usually, other people’s feelings towards me are much more… negative, so I didn´t want to presume. I was just hoping to spend some time with you. In any way possible, really. Not that I am not absolutely ecstatic about the outcome.” He smiles tentatively.

Clover can only stare at him. How can he tell this beautiful and stubborn man that he is loved, not just by him but by a multitude of people?

“What?”

Clover shakes his head. “Nothing” he says because this isn´t something that will be fixed through words alone. He will need to show him, to make him understand through small everyday acts. Maybe he should have a word with Ruby and Yang. They`ll might have some ideas.

“Well, if it’s nothing, then how about you kiss me again and put your hands in those back pockets of mine, because I know you desperately want to.”

And it’s not like Clover can deny Qrow anything the man asks for.

**Author's Note:**

> This is just fluff.


End file.
